Fort Des Moines Provisional Army Officer Training School · Photo: Larry Day, Photographer · Public domain2,814 homes sold in Des Moines in the last year, at a typical $217K
Almost every sale is a house. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Des Moines homes are listed.
Every place Des Moines homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Des Moines.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
8% of Des Moines’ sales are condos, at $16K more than a house
2584 houses and 212 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster and draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 2584 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $195IA $158
- Days to sell
- 32
- Sold over asking
- 22%
- Listings with a price cut
- 38%
typical sale · 212 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $190IA $165
- Days to sell
- 73
- Sold over asking
- 14%
- Listings with a price cut
- 29%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 4 sold, typical $245K
Townhouses: 14 sold, typical $278K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than before 2022, at 1.8 times the 2016 price
2,814 sales in the last year, against 4,230 in 2021 and a low of 2,642 in 2012. The typical sale went from $122K in 2016 to $217K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $200K buys in Des Moines
Check a listing against what Des Moines homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Des Moines are back to pre-pandemic levels, with about as many homes for sale
We read every month of Des Moines’ home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 2,814 sales.
If you’re buying in Des Moines
- Shop in October. It brings about 336 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (25% over asking).
- You can negotiate. 36% of listings have cut their price, against 33% before the pandemic.
- Offer under asking. Buyers paid 97.8% of the list price on average; 21% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 36% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 35 days.
Summer brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
June has the most new listings (about 402 a month), and the most competition: 34% close over asking. September and October offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (28%). January has the least competition (20%) but only about 241 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and about like Iowa as a whole
| Des Moines now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | IA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 21% | 25% | 39% | 22% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 36% | 29% | 56% | 36% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 36% | 33% | 34% | 27% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 97.8% | 98.1% | 99.6% | 97.7% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 35 | 40 | 14 | 45 |
726 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.9 times the 2023 low (388), about the 2017–19 level and well under 2013’s 1602.
1 in 3 listings has cut its price
36% in the last year, against 33% in 2017–19 and 27% across Iowa.
Since 2019, houses are up 45%, condos 35%
A house typically sold for $216K in the last year (2584 sales), a condo for $232K (212).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Des Moines ranks 32nd of 64 busy Iowa markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Des Moines is in the middle of the pack.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2012 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Des Moines home costs about $1,457 a month
Price: Des Moines’ typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Des Moines’ 1.8% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Des Moines is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in June
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 176.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $217K home, about $3,900 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Des Moines, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in Des MoinesTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Des Moines.
Work & commuteCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
No busy market nearby sells for less a square foot; Saylorville for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Des Moines, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | 2,814 | $217K | $194 | 21% | 35 |
| Norwalk | 454 | $332K | $230 | 24% | 83 |
| Altoona | 430 | $334K | $226 | 23% | 73 |
| Pleasant Hill | 168 | $307K | $215 | 14% | 62 |
| Windsor Heights | 81 | $290K | $195 | 26% | 38 |
| Carlisle | 70 | $267K | $218 | 19% | 42 |
| Saylorville | 41 | $338K | $247 | 15% | 51 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Des Moines, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Des Moines. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Des Moines with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Des Moines
What do homes sell for in Des Moines, IA?
2,814 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $217K, $194 a square foot. Houses sold for about $216K, condos for about $232K.
Is Des Moines a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 667 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 276 sold, about 2.4 months of supply. Buyers paid 97.8% of asking on average, and 36% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Des Moines?
June brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Des Moines?
About 1.8% of a home’s value a year. On a $217K home that’s near $3,900.
Where can I see homes for sale in Des Moines?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Des Moines’ MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Des Moines.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).